About FRIPRO

FRIPRO is an open, national, competitive arena that covers all fields of research. It aims to promote scientific quality at the forefront of international research, boldness in scientific thinking and innovation, careers for young research talents and mobility for researchers early in their career.

The funding scheme for independent projects (FRIPRO) is an open, national, competitive arena that provides funding for all fields of research. The project ideas originate with the researchers themselves.

New knowledge is often generated in unforeseen ways and in unexpected areas. Broad-based, independent research is therefore a prerequisite for all other research. It is also essential for future industrial development and for policymaking. FRIPRO aims to contribute to strengthen Norway's national knowledge base by funding this type of research.

FRIPRO is an open competitive arena for all research areas and disciplines, without thematic guidelines or requirements relating to the applicability or immediate utility of the research.

The competition in FRIPRO is tough, and only the best researchers with particularly good projects and very well-written proposals have a chance at succeeding.

Vision: Quality and boldness in scientific thinking and innovation

FRIPRO should promote

Scientific quality at the forefront of international research

Boldness in scientific thinking and innovation

Careers for young research talents

FRIPRO should bring forth research of high scientific quality. In addition, we wish to encourage bold projects that will result in scientific innovation. FRIPRO also supports research careers for young researchers and mobility for researchers early in their careers.

What is the target group for the FRIPRO funding scheme?

The target group for FRIPRO is particularly skilled researchers in various stages of their research careers, with the best research ideas.

Quick facts about FRIPRO

The following application types are available in FRIPRO: Researcher Project, Young Research Talents, Mobility Grants, Personal Overseas Research Grant, Support for Event and Project Establishment Support to submit a new application to the ERC. The deadline for the call for proposals for Researcher Projects, Young Research Talents and Mobility Grants is in April each year, and funds are granted in December the same year.

FRIPRO Toppforsk was announced in 2015 and 2017. No funding for this application type will be announced in 2018 and no calls for proposals are planned.

​The call for proposals for ​Personal Overseas Research Grant has no deadline. As a project manager for a FRIPRO project, you may submit an application for this grant at any time. The grants are only awarded to fellows financed by the Research Council of Norway as part of ongoing FRIPRO projects and to project managers of ongoing Young Research Talents projects in FRIPRO. Project owners of FRIPRO projects that were granted funding after submitting a proposal in 2017 or later, must use the Research Council's main call for Personal Overseas Research Grants to apply for funding for such grants for their doctoral and postdoctoral research fellows.

​The call for proposals for Project Establishment Support to submit a new application to the ERC has no deadline. Applicants whohave submitted an ERC-application and advanced to stage two in the submission process, but who did no receive funding, may submit an application for Project Establishment Support at any time within two years after submitting their original application to the ERC.

The success rates for Researcher Projects and ​Young Research Talents are usually between 5 and 15 %.

Only approved Norwegian research organisation can be the formal applicant of a FRIPRO proposal. Approved research organisations are universities, university colleges, research institutes and other research organisations with state funding:
Definition and specification of Research Institution
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Funding with special requirements

In addition to funding from the main FRIPRO budget, FRIPRO allocates the following funding for projects and international collaboration:

Funding under the climate policy agreement: In keeping with the broad-based political agreement on climate policy achieved in the Norwegian Storting, funding for basic research projects in the field of renewable energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) is included in the annual FRIPRO calls. Funding is available for Researcher Projects, Young Research Talents and ​FRIPRO Mobility Grants​.

Cooperation with Luxembourg: The Research Council of Norway and the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) have signed an agreement whereby the FNR will cover the project costs of Luxembourgian partners participating in FRIPRO projects. Read more about the agreement here. This funding is available for Researcher Projects and Young Research Talents.